Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 17 January 1949 — Page 10

PAGE 10 Monday, Jan. 17, 1949 J ‘a . ! ow iE Price In Marion County, 3 0 B10

iy, 23a SURGR) So) ie rates io (naisns, A gE Hg Wnt

] Gio8 Light and the People Will Find Thew Own Woy

gn] 4

‘Rich Man's Tax Bill' . MAYBE ali of Mr. Truman's talk about the “rich man's tax bill,” passed by the Republican 80th Congress, - was what Wendell Willkie once described as just so much | ~ campaign oratory. 4 ho : | + For now the President, the election behind him, ap- | parently does not wish to repeal that ‘rich man's tax bill,” | and restore taxes to what they were before that Congress ~ tampered with them, hd .. Indeed Mr," Truman now says he wants personal income taxes raiséd only on the middle and upper bracket incomes. And he defines middle-bracket incomes as starting at $6000. Democratic Rep. Eberharter of Pennsylvania would lay higher taxes only on incomes over $16,000, and Democratic Rep. Dingell of Michigan raises the ante by suggesting that the increases start at $20,000 incomes. hon . "nn = Maybe Mr. Truman and the Democrats should refresh + thele-memories as to.what that. sich man's tax bil” pro- - By increasing income exémptions, the bill took about seven million taxpayérs in the lowest bracket clear off: the ~ income-tax rolls, giving them an effective tax saving of 100 per cent. The higher exemptions accounted for 42 per cent of all the $4.8 billion revenue lost. , A married cotiple with two children and $2500 income had their tax reduced from $95 to $16.60-—an 82 per cent cut; income $3000, tax reduced from $100 to $09.60—a 47 . per cent-cut; income $4000, tax reduced from $380 -to $265.60—a 30 per cent eut. : : Of all the revenue lost to the government by that “rich man’s tax bill,” 71 per cent went to families or individuals with incomes of $5000 or less.

Simple Prescription J THERE is a type of thinking in Washington which makes the solution to all problems simple. All we need to do is pass a law and spend some money. : ‘That, substantially, is the solution thought up for the steel shortage. Lend money to the steel companies to build new plants, say the Washington thinkers. If the companies won't take the money—and the risk—let the government ~ build the plants. 3 : het This all-too-simple plan, of course, leaves a lot of details to be filled in. The new government plants, for instance, ~ will need coking coal, and eoal of that type has been getting scarcer for years. They'll need ore, and setting up a new ore supply is no small job. - Any new basic steel plant will need finishing capacity “lo process its output. Can all that be built and operated in time to affect the present shortage? -And what happens to these high-cost plants after the shortage is over? a » » 2 nn PRESIDENT TRUMAN seems not to have swallowed _ this prescriptiod entirely. Although he recommended to Congress a survey to find means of increasing production, with consideration of possible loans or government building, he also told reporters he was not advocating that the government go into the steel business. *

duction wisely and help maintain high production, there | . are some helpful and inexpensive things it can do. = _ It could for instance: Find more coking coal; help. develop the serap supply; find dependable sources of man-. _ganese; end the muddle over whether basing®point price

petitively with free access to markets and quit threatening --the steel industry. ETL

Hey, the War's Over A HOOVER Commission “task force,” says a news dispatch, estimates that the Agriculture Department can save more than $80,000,000 a year by reorganizing its activities under six divisions within-the department. 0.K., let's do it, and deduct that much from the Presi- - dent's $41,858,000,000 budget. But when did a civilian committee become a “task force”? Let's start this year right by eliminating all such gobblydegook from governmental press releases and comment concerning them.

Behind the Times

OW we know what the Chinese Communists are fighting for. Automats, “Twenty years after all China is Communist,” they told an American correspondent, “we shall have automat restaurants.” How pathetically backward! Haven't they heard of the shmoo, that new creature of American genius, which multiplies astronomically and produces ham, eggs, butter, cream, chops, tenderloins, shoes and clothing? Let them have their automats, we'll take shmoos,

Precision Measurement THE account of a recent speech by Maine's charming . and able new Senator, Mrs. Margaret Chase Smith, reminded us again of how increasingly hard it is to measure - precisely the gradations in our imprecise political labels, Mrs. Smith may be of the same mind, for she told her audience ‘that she is a “moderate . . . somewhat more liberal, and somewhat less conservative, than one in the past category of ‘middle-of-the-road.’ ” . After some work with the calipers, we have concluded that Sen. Smith will probably be qualified as a little to the . right of a little left of center.

‘Where's That Rod? i A TELEVISION set has been installed in a New York iS City church. Parents say they hope it will help to keep their “teen-age children out of saloons.” That is our idea of a smart move. After all, you can't le pds 1a stay away tom bars just boaus you

40-8 Dile And say, “Whose is this? The man En Hi ane HO WOW Way, Suir DOR

If the Federal government wants to support steel pro- |

. That know the quick rise of ill-will systems are legal, and permit the industry to operate com- |

With the Times Barton Rees Pogue "AND WHOSE IS THIS?"

In 1911 T was the “baby of the House” I thé Bixty-Seventh General Assembly of Indiana.

that honor this next session. How times have changed! by : At that time I was a country school teacher lashing in the “little red brick” in the winter, rm mer, In my campaign I promised the farmers in my country that I would see that the nefar< fous Snti-séining law wotlld be repealed, I was lected, but I failed in the repeal of the law. ing fish from Indiana streams, axcept by officers of the state, has been prohibited ever since. “Beining, as a sport, has long since- become A “lost art.” Stream pollution did what the city-ites sald seining would do—depopulate the streams of Me ! : i Well, it was a great sport while it lasted. It was great sport to tend the bail of a4 hundredfoot seine in 10 fest of water, holding the lead line to the bottom of “the stream, with your clothes on, and wearing a pair of rubber boots, Diving to the bottom and loosening the “sinkers” from a snag took courage, too. “ Then came ‘the pay-off. The fish were always divided on a grassy plot. They were divided evenly in piles, in a circle, representing the numher of families present. The catch usudlly consisted of suckers, cap, quill-backs and red-syes. There were seldom more than ons or twa bass, for that fish ia wily, and usually jumped the seine. The bass, if any, were always conspieuous on top of the separate piles. One of the seiners stood in the center of the piles with a long switch, Another man turned his back to the eircle, but faced the seiners. The man with the switch would point

This went on till he came to the pile with the big bass, then he would say, “And whose is this?” The answer was Always “yours” or “mine.” Cy I was a first voter before I realized how important the three letter conjunction “and” was to the distribution of fish!George 8. Billman, Anderson.

ri nee ' ' ADIEU' AND 'WELCOME' HERE The last bit of timsei's been shaken .. From rugs, or heen &wept from the floor. The Christmas wreath's message so cheery Glows no welcome from window or door. No bright, ruddy candles are gleaming And the tree, ohce so cheerful and bright, Dismantled now, lies in the alley, Such a drab and pitiful sight,

Each ball, each shining gay trinket, Wrapped in tissue laid safely away, Some day to come forth in new splendor To brighten again Christmas Day. Each card, a cherished memento ; Of friendship, of friends far and hear, With each tick of the clock time is passing . .. “Goodbye, Christmas” , , , and “Welcome, New Year.” ea Mary R. White, Indianapolis. ® ¢ 3

SOLILOQUY

Why should I murmur if it°be my lot, To spend my sojourn here in one-small spot? The universe and all its mystery Is found in this sweet rose by my door. My Kitchen window frames infinity— Why should I lohg for mote?

Why should I long to ses strange lands and at ) }

Could there be any hills lovelier than these? And haven't all the poets and sages Of every land and creed Put all thease wonders on the pages Of books for me to read? ; Olga Adams, Peru. ¢ oo 2»

COMMERCE

1 have never seen the tides of seas Roll in upon the heated sands, But I have felt their salty breeze Urging me to far-off lands— Lands where eyes see clear the swell Of waters drawn to flaky foam, Then ebb again into the well , Of blue calmness, safe at home Lands where ships of salient hope ! Come and go . . . ships full-friendly manned, Bearing cargo, a steel-cast rope "That binds the shores of land to’ land,

Shall subside again and lie still

A Chinese Puzzle

BHANGHAIL Jan: 17—Almost anything still China. Viewed In the light of known facts and jecture, the probabilities rack up today like this, in the order given: Jel

[On the Spot

I notiesd that a young lady from Kokomo-has [*

and “playing a little politics” in sum- :

ONE: If a face-saving formula could be found for Chiang Kai-shek to give up active military command and yet continue as commander in chief and President, as American Presidents

v » ve we

° wd

———————— to A — Rob ——

AFFAIRS OF STATE . . . By Peter Edson Criticism of Acheson Reviewed

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17—Opposition to the appointment of Dean Acheson as Secretary of State has some queer angles. Queerest of the lot comés from Sen, Kenneth 8. Wherry of Pawnee City, Neb, the new Republican floor leader in the upper House of Congress, Sen. Wherry first showed apposition when Mr. Acheson was nominated for undersecretary of state back in September, 1045. There was no formal hearing. on Acheson for this earifer appointment. He was then assistant secretary of state and was well khown to most of the Congress. He came before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee just after President Truman had sent his nomination to the Hill for confirmation. According to Sen. Tom Connally, Acheson was willing to testify. But no one cared to question him. His confirmation was recommended unanimousty. On the Senate floor, however,” Sen. Wherry asked that confirmation be held over several days. When the appointment again came up, Mr. Wherry offered a resolution that it be

referred back to the Foreign Relations Com--

mitteé for further investigation. This Wherry resolution was voted down 66 to 12, following whith Mr. Acheson was confirmed, 60 to one. Sen. Wherry was the “one.”

- Charges Boiled Down.-to Nothing

THE debate on this question lasted several hours, filling over 30 pages of the Congressional Record. It is worth reviewing now because it reveals so amazingly just what Sen. Wherry ‘had against Mr. Acheson. What it boils down to is nothing, but this is the story: When Gen. Douglas MacArthur first when to Japan, it had been anticipated that he would need an American Army occupation force of some 500,000 men. After a few weeks in Japan, Gen, MacArthur said the job could be done with 200,000 men, This matter was put up to Assistant Becretary Acheson at a State Department press conference on Sept. 19; 1945. The question:

Reporter—' ‘There have been reports that you !

were disturbed by some of the recent statements made by Gen, MacArthur, Do you have any comment to make on the occupation?” This. is a transcript of Mr. Acheson's reply. It was the basis of Sen. Wherry's whole case against confirmation: Fin Acheson—"1 have no comment to make on

a Fisie Pearl Oliver, Greenwood — ——the—military aspects of what Gen, MacArthur WAR IN ASIA...By Clyde Farnsworth

SIDE GLANCES

"anybody can foresee at this time the number

‘always been held by this government and is

stated. That is purely a military matter with which the State Department is not properly concerned, : “I think I can say that I am surprised that

of forces which will be necessary in Japan. That may come from inadequate knowledge of the military field, hence it is not very important. “The important thing is that the policy in regard to Japan is the same policy which has

still held by this government so far as I know, and I think I know,” :

Read Between the Lines 5 By some process of deduction, Sen. Wherry | drew fromethis statement several things. First he implied that Mr. Acheson had rebuked Gen. MacArthur, and that this was part of an organized smear campaign against the general. Then he charged that “the U.- 8. government, not the occupying forces under Gen. MacArthur, is determining American policy towards Japan.” In the course of the debate Sen. J. William | Fullbright of Arkansas, referring to the Acheson statement, asked: “I do not see that there is any rebuke (to MacArthur) involved. Exactly what language does. the Senator .consider a rebuke?” Sen. Wherry never answered that one directly. He cited Mr. Acheson's support of the Bretton Wpods agreement and the reciprocal | trade agreements. Then he said, “I am not for starting any revolution in Japan that .will sacrifice the ‘lives of thousands of American boys.”

Wanted Boys Brought Home

JUST where Acheson had sald he wanted to start any Japanese revolutions that would cost the lives of thousands of erican boys was a little hard to see. Sen. erry explained that he was getting lots of letters from people who wanted the boys brought back home as sbon as possible, : Towards the end of the debate, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Tom Connally, leading the fight for Mr. Acheson's con. firmation, remarked to Sen. Wherry: “If the | Senator will cool himself off a little, that will | help. I know that he is heated up. He is like a foxhound that sees a victim and he is spurred on by his own enthusiasm for some years | hence.” . |

can happen in informed connot necessarily

By Galbraith

been accused of

ley law.

LABOR SPLIT. ..By Fred W. Perkins

Charge ‘Stab in Back’

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17—A strong

Hoosier Forum

“1 do not agree with a word that will defend fo the death your right |

used will be edited but content will be pre- * ered, for br he Fogo Sp Freon.

+38) for Police Only’ a

Et, 2 eh might make your actions in

ment. ; -l . You say you “didn’t do anything that anys body else wouldn't have done.” Well, it that is correct, then everybody would have r doing the same, yet you were the only ond except lawful authorities that was pursuing thi bus. It was a case for the pdlice, and they were alerted and would have eventually caught : the man on the bus, and justice” would have been dispensed in the proper maner. No polick officer would have shot into a loaded bus of, any other public conveyance, or even in a crowd on a city street, regardiess of the circums

tually hit by. stray shot disproves your con= tention that you knéw nobody would be hit, No, Mr. Smiser, your attempt to be a hero, endangering the lives ‘of innocent folks; u not go down very well with the majority of Indianapolis citizenk. We, naturally, want t¢

see justice done in the apprehension and puns ©

{shment of law-breakers, but that's up to thé" police officers and the courts, No right-minded

man yould take a gun out in public to avenge: -

someone else's wrong.

3 ® & & = ‘We Need Bonus Now’ : By An Ex-G. 1, City, . lg

I have been keeping up with the G. I. bonus. bill in your newspaper since it first

Seems to me someone is stalling. I ask you" |

and the readers’'why. - z “¥ 1 was with the 20th Infantry Division from the time we landed on Omaha Beach D- ; until being discharged in January, 1946. What if we had waited for tank support when they

were bogged down in mud? What if we had, waited for support from.the air when a plane

couldn't get off the ground? Yes, we'd still be fighting and dying while lots of people. didn’t know there was a war going on. Ine. stead of waiting, we went over the hedgerow when our offiéers shouted, “Let's go.” Yt Frankly, I think the G. I. rates action now, instead of a promise for two .or three, maybe four, years from now. If then, which I doubt, Most G. 1's like myself could use the money’ now for a hetter purpose than in four years Some states have already paid their boyy the bonus without an added tax. matter with Indiana? Where does

go?

5: -

the

* o_o «

An Emergency of High Taxes By R. W. Lawson, New Castle, Ind. You had a cartoon in The Times on whal, ! wi wear-—a artels Where is he going to gét the barrel? , what will we poor folks wear, if taxes keep on rising? No fig leaves in this -part of .the.. country.

What Others Say— if

THE desolation caused by war is widespre and even the most optimistic cannot call peace.—Prime Minister Peter Fraser of Newt

Zeland. ¢ & 9

TIS a tragedy of human society that makes force the necessary reaction of force. i Juliana of the Natharialon 2 ®

THE commandment of peace is a matter of divine law. Its purpose is the protection of the s of humanity inasmuch as they are gifts of the Creator.—Pope Pius XIL

right-wing union has “stabbing the rest of organized labor in the back”

by favoring a compromise proposal on repeal of the Taft-Hart-

The organization thus criticized is the International Ladies

Garment Workers Union, 8 well known as a fighter against Communist influence in organ=

headed by David Dubinsky, who is

What's the. 1

do in wartime, the Nationalists might start winning the war against Communists—or lose it quickly. TWO: The government will continue indefinitely to oppose the Communists without international mediation or further American ald, so long as Chiang holds power and has a bake of operations on Chinese soil. The Communists for years may come no closer to controlling all China than the Japanese did.

C'° 3's Position

or mass defection of troops could force him to resign and leave a Kuomintang rump government to deal with and surrender to the Communists. But in such event Chiang himself would continue in at least nominal opposition from Formosa and’ South China alded by anti-Communist provincial regimes which fringe the Chinese interior. ha FOUR: Chiang voluntarily will retire only as a price to be paid for future American assistance or for Big Four mediation, His implied offer of such concession to the Communists in his New Year message was coupled with peace terms naturally repugnant to the Communists even as a basis for negotiations The purpose of that “peace offer” was to place on the Reds the * responsibility for continued warfare, FIVE: International mediation might bring a truce, but any cessation of hostilities pending “final settlement” Is almost bound to be used by both sides to gird for further battle, The government might agree to a lower Yangtze boundary with Red China for the sake of “settlement,” but neither side could afford to tespect it as a permanent dividing line.

La~’ Claim to Power

SIX: Falling 10 win either four-power mediation or further American ald, the Nationalists probably will attempt to hold the lower Yangtze. The Hankow-Nanking-Shanghal line repregents thelr last claim to a strategic balance of military power, If they lose it their brightest hope would be to keep the retreat from becoming A‘ rout. : : SEVEN: But the idea of a death struggle along the Yangtze ' would make better rhetoric than military sense if the Communists crossed the river and threatened to roll up the divisions now digging In. The temptation of the Nationalists to rescue whatever they could from any difficult situation on the Yangtze would be strong. Those men are the salient probabilities of the government's present situation. American military observers think the Natlonalists could hold the Yangtze line with their ald and naval dwer alone, But no one can weigh the imponderable factor of ationalist morale at this stage. > . There are thousands of newly trained reserves in Formosa where two American ships delivered arms and ammunition recently. These could be thrown into’the Yangtas battle in two or three weeks. Whether these reserves will be committed or

‘ments of the Yangtze situation must turn, : Without

merican support, and assuming Chiang continues

A in power, It stems Ikely he will turn to the south and to Formosa

THREE: Only a powerful rebellion in Chiang's own camp

retained to hold Formosa i8 one question upon which all judg-

COPR. 1640 BY NEA SERVICE, NC. 7. M. AEG. Wh & PAT, OOF.

| Ws for you to handle—since he got that paper route he's bean buying his way out of the dishes!"

as polential bases for future resistance, holding the Yangtse if he can but taking no chances of losing all on that throw of the dice,

Barbs—

REGARDLESS of conditions these days, they'll become the “good d¢ld days” in years to come,

«on _ GANGSTERS put 'em on the spot, but they don’t call their

. $ - ONE of the toughest breaks comes right after Christmas— being broke.

“* When you think of yourself alone; it's-your own fault when people leave you that way. Cy ’ » wi The careless people season Is when ducks, pheasants and ‘rabbits are supposed to be shot. . po ' » flies ‘ A Florida golf club gave members turkeys as tournament prizes. That's one way to get a birdie : .

EY ws, LE .Ldie ir ; a

ized labor. : The charge came from Russ Nixon, Washington representa~ tive of the CIO United Electrical Workers, a big union whose leadership frequently is accused of following the Communist Party line.

Harden said s of ‘any move oust Mr. Scot member of the

Mr. Nixon made the charge in describing the resuits of wi} Footie IM lobbying efforts here by 45 Electrical Union members from about chairman—if 20 states. He said they had received enough encouragement “I''do not | from more than 100 Congressmen to believe their objective could any contest,” be attained—immediate repeal of Taft-Hartley and restoration She will b of the old Wagner act. : House Veteras the a ntm ! es °° “ertain Union Controls Ppomtm THE Dubinsky union announced three weeks ago it was Official W

agreeable to accepting certain union controls to bring about Taft-Hartley repeal. These controls would be considerably short of those now in the law, but would go further than any plan so far discussed by any other labor organization. Both the CIO and AFL have taken the official position that the present law must be ditched and the Wagner act restored before they will talk about amending Jt. The Dubinsky action, taken independently, could upset these plans. Mr. Nixon said his group had received most encouragement trom Rep. John W. MoCormack (D, Mass.), majority leader in the House, and that the general situation seemed to depend on how many sou Democrats could be induced to support the union program. A Mr. Nixon also contended that in the minds of some Democratic congressional leaders the question of revising the national labor laws was mixed wp with sident Truman's civil rights program. He said that several Senators had advised the union spokesman not to push the civil rights issue aggressively at present because it would antagonize southern members ap whose votes the labor lew question would depend. ‘Two Package’ Approach IPE AS TO President Truman's noncommittal attitude in the labor law controversy, Mr. Nixon sald, “we would be happier if the President would declare himself.” / A He added that his union demanded the “two package” approach primarily ause “our jegmlative bargaining position would be immeasurably weakened if we have to procesd on the basis of amending the Taft-Hartley instead of the Wagner set.” He expressed fears, also, that delay in getting Hartley might give time for development of would sway some public opinion against the unions’

UNITED STATE

Precipitation 24 1 Total precipitati since Jan

f - ture In other citi

A eT a gress appear to remain

, “one Adve